Paper folding machines are well known in the paper handling industry. In general, paper folding machines have the capability of performing folding operations on lengths of continuous sheets or multiple separate sheets of paper that are continuously fed into the paper folding machine.
One type of paper folding machine commonly used is known as a buckle-type paper folding machine. An example of a buckle-type machine is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,699 to Martin entitled “Buckle Chute Paper Folding Apparatus.” In a buckle-type machine, a piece of paper is fed or pulled through two elongated adjacent rollers that direct the leading edge of the piece of paper into a tray or a chute that is of a finite length and which stops the leading edge of the paper at a predetermined distance from the rollers. Once the leading edge hits the end of the chute, the paper is confined as it is buckled by the first pair of rollers which are still advancing the sheet of paper. The buckled portion of the piece of paper is then caught between another pair of rollers positioned next to the first pair of rollers. The second pair of rollers pull the buckled portion through, thereby creating a folded piece of paper.
In the operation of a paper folding machine, the operator loads a desired quantity of paper sheets onto a sheet feeder at a paper loading area. The loaded sheets of paper to be folded are sequentially fed by the sheet feeder along a feed path into a folding mechanism. The leading edge of the paper sheets are drawn into the folding mechanism, which is located downstream from the sheet feeder. Once drawn into the folding mechanism, the paper sheets are sequentially folded by folding roller pairs. Once folded, the paper sheets are sequentially discharged from the folding mechanism at a location that is remote from the location where the operator loads the unfolded paper sheets to be folded.
Because the folded paper sheets are discharged from the paper folding machine at a location that is different and remote from the location where the paper is loaded, a single operator is must continually travel between the two locations (i.e.-between the paper loading location and paper discharge location) throughout the paper folding process. This results in a reduction in the productivity of the paper folding process. Alternatively, the productivity of the paper folding process can be maintained through the use of an additional operator to collect the folded paper that is discharged from the folding mechanism. However, the use of an additional operator in the paper folding process results in an increase in labor costs.
Therefore, it is desirable in the paper handling art to provide a return device to return folded paper to the operator of the folding machine at or near the location where the paper sheets to be folded are loaded onto the sheet feeder. It is desirable that the paper return device is easily integrated into a paper folding machine, that the use of the paper return device reduces the space required by the paper folding machine, that the paper return device permits easy and efficient operation of the folding machine by a single operator, and that the paper return device increases the productivity of the paper folding process, while reducing the labor efforts of the operator.